Do you know breast cancer is the most common form of cancer afflicting Malaysian women of all races. Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate - whether you’re Malay, Indian, Chinese or everything in-between.

Breast Cancer in Malaysia – the stark facts

* Breast cancer was the commonest overall cancer as well as the commonest cancer in women amongst all races from the age of 20 years in Malaysia for 2003 to 2005.
* Breast cancer is most common in the Chinese, followed by the Indians and then, Malays.
* Breast cancer formed 31.1% of newly diagnosed cancer cases in women in 2003-2005.

* The Age Standardised Rate (ASR) of female breast cancer is 47.4 per 100,000 population (National Cancer Registry Report 2003-2005). Amongst the Chinese, it is higher at 59.9 per 100,000 population, for the Indians, the ASR is 54.2 per 100,000 and it is lowest in the Malays at 34.9 per 100,000 population.
* A woman in Malaysia has a 1 in 20 chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime
* The cumulative life time risk of developing breast cancer for Chinese women, Indian women and Malay women were 1 in 16, 1 in 17 and 1 in 28 respectively.
* The peak incidence appeared to be 50-59 years old.

Over the years from 1993 to 2003, there were a total of 1818 breast cancer patients in the University Hospital. The number of breast cancer patients increased annually, with the highest recorded in 2003. This was 6 times the number of breast cancer patients in 1993.

Breast cancer is more common in Chinese women compared to Malay women. 2% of these patients were below 30 years of age.  The majority of the cancer patients were in the 40-49 year age group when they were first diagnosed. However, this is NOT age-specific incidence but hospital incidence that could be influenced by the population it serves. Perhaps, there is a younger urban population or perhaps, the older folks prefer traditional/kampung treatment. 30-40% of the patients presented in the late stage and although women are now presenting with smaller tumours, the decrease in size is not significant.

Source: http://www.radiologymalaysia.org

Tags: Breast Cancer
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Are you pregnant and trying to decide whether breastfeeding is right for you and your baby? I’ve already talked about how breastfeeding benefits your newborn, but do you know breastfeeding provides substantial benefits to the mother as well?

The followings are some of the breastfeeding benefits for mom:

• In response to the baby’s sucking, the mother’s body releases hormone oxytocin that makes her uterus contract and get smaller. If a woman does not breastfeed, her uterus will remain slightly larger than it was before pregnancy.
• Many mothers also get emotional benefits from breastfeeding because of the closeness of this interaction with the baby and from the satisfaction of helping to nourish their babies. Mothers who breastfeed immediately after the birth quickly develop a strong bond with their baby.
• It may offer protection against some cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian. Studies have shown that the risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by almost 50% in breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding for 12 to 24 consecutive months can reduce your risk of developing uterine cancer by almost one third.
• It may also help to increase bone density, preventing osteoporosis when breastfeeding ceases.
• Breastfeeding can aid weight loss after birth. Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day, which can help you lose those extra pregnancy pounds. Breastfeeding mothers showed significantly larger reductions in hip circumference and more fat loss by one month postpartum when compared with formula-feeding moms. Breastfeeding mothers tend to have an earlier return to their pre-pregnant weight.
• Breast milk is free - reducing or eliminating the cost of formula (in the thousands per year).
• Benefits child spacing. Since breastfeeding delays ovulation, the longer a mother breastfeeds the more she is able to practice natural child spacing, if she desires. How long a woman remains infertile depends on her baby’s nursing pattern and her own individual baby.
• Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing health care costs to family in doctor office visits, prescriptions and hospitalizations.
• Breastfeeding is usually easy and convenient. Breastfed babies are very portable and you have instant, pre-warmed, ready-to-serve food wherever you go.

Tags: Breast Cancer, breast milk, Breastfeeding, breastfeeding benefits, lose weight after pregnancy, osteoporosis
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